China on Tuesday confirmed its first human infection with the H3N8 strain of bird flu.
Gatekeepers News reports that the variant was found in a four-year-old boy from the central province of Henan province who showed fever and other symptoms on April 5, according to a statement released by the National Health Commission.
The H3N8 variant is common in horses and dogs and has even been found in seals. No human cases of H3N8 have been reported, NHC said, noting that the risk of its spread among people is low.
The child had been in contact with chickens and crows raised at his home, it added in a statement.
The boy was infected directly by birds and the strain was not found to have “the ability to effectively infect humans”, the commission said.
The NHC added that tests of the boy’s close human contacts found “no abnormalities”.
The NHC said the boy’s case was a “one-off cross-species transmission, and the risk of large-scale transmission is low”.
It warned the public to nevertheless stay away from dead or sick birds and seek immediate treatment for fever or respiratory symptoms.
